Embossing machines



Jan. 5, 1960 E. c. COLYER ET AL 2,919,779

EMBOSSING MACHINES Filed Nov. 21, 1958 10 Sheets-Sheet 1 Invefii-ors fdwinz C. Geiger Elmer zflnschulty 1960 E. c. COLYER ET AL 2,919,779

\ EMBOSSING MACHINES Filed Nov. 21, 1958 10 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventors Edwin. C, Colger Elmer vschultz Zdalm wdPmo Attorney Jan. 5, 1960 E. c. COLYER ETAL 2,919,779

. EMBOSSING MACHINES Filed Nov. 21, 1958 I 10 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventors Edwin. C. Co [3.21"

Elmr A. Scbultg #H-Lornegs Jan. 5, 1960 Filed Nov; 21, 1958 E. c. COLYER ETAL EMBOSSING MACHINES 1O Sheets-Sheet 5 s9 I111! enter 5 Edwin C. colger flmer 4+- sclzultz/ 5 mfl Jan. 5, 1960 c, COLYER ET AL 2,919,779

EMBOSSING MACHINES Filed Nov. 21, 1958 10 Sheets-Sheet 6 Mil/[4 4: t

Inventors Edwin C. Colger flmer' 'A-n Scbu t? .vq-l l rne gs 1960 E. c. COLYER ETAL 7 2,919,779

' EMBOSSING MACHINES Filed Nov. 21, 1958 10 Sheets-Sheet 8 Inventors Edwin C Colger' Elmer schult Jan. 5, 1960 CQLYER ETAL 2,919,779

EMBOSSING MACHINES l0 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed Nov. 21, 1958 m .w n e m I -.N mm mm M 5n 7 an .25 01.12.

United States Patent 2,919,179 EMBOS SING MACHINES 'Edwin C.1Colyer,-'Willoughby, and Elmer A. Schultz, Eu-

' clid, Ohio, .assignors ,to Addressograph 'Multigraph Cor- I poration, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application November 21, 1958, Serial No. 776,661 l t-Claims. "(Gl.197-.-6,2)

This invention relates tonew and improved embossing or indenting machines; more specifically, the invention is concerned with embossing machines suitable for manual operation and adapted to 'emboss printing devices such as address plates, jcredit plates, and similar articles formed of either metalor plasticmaterials. This application is acontinuation-in-part of application Serial No. 621,581, filed November 13, 1956, and now abandoned.

There are a number of"busin'esssystems which require the preparation of'individual embossed plates orfp'rinting devices toidentify customersfclients, .or goods involved 'in the vbusiness loperatio'n in which the system is employed. 'For example, in many systems 'foraddressing business instruments or 'forother mailing purposes, rela- Qtivelyfthin sheetsot 'metal are embossed with the name and addressof anjindividual customer or clientto afford printing devices which may be usedin addressing 'ma'il intended forthose parties. In other systems, individual embossed'p'rinting'plates are utilized as customer creditidentification devices in the sale or lease of goods. "Printing devices of this general type may 'also be employed in stock control and other similar business operations.

in a-large number f systemsof thisfgeneral gy e, ,-it is highly. desirable forthe system user to ;have.at;his disposal an embossing machine adapted to fabricate the individual printing devices, thereby avoiding potential .delays and difiiculties in preparation .of the printing devices.

embossing machines previously .known in the art, vthough generally satisfactory ,for many applications, may be relatively cumbersome and ,expensive when applied to some small-volume operations. Some of these handoperated-machines, moreover, are ratherdifiieult to oper ate in that they require the operator to exert relatively large effort .in vthe punching .or embossing operation. Furthermore, many ofthe embossing machines known in the art may produce somewhat irregular type heights in the embossed material "and ias a .consequencerequire special rolling equipment to obtain a uniform embossure height -.in .the printing plates. I

There are,a.numberof requirements whichshould be .area such as .a cabinet.

' contemplated applying these principles.

" ice me'tin any embossing machine intended for use in relatively small volume systems. The embossing machine should be relatively low in price and compact in size and should require aminimum of efiorts on the'part of the operator. Since the machine may be utilized ina general ofiice area, quietness of operation is certainly a desirable characteristic; moreover, since use is often'intermittent, itis desirable that the embossing machine be constructed for convenient movement .to and from a storage In a number of applications, where it is desired to utilize different type styles for'different types of printing devices, it is highly desirable to afior'd a quick and convenient means for changing the die headof theembossing machine. .Moreover, if-both metal and plastic devices are to beembossed, .some means must'be provided to effect the necessary changes in embossing ,pressure in a convenient and expeditious manner.

.A ,primaryobject of the invention, therefore, is the provision of a new and improved embossingor indentingmachine suitable for-,either-manual or,partia1ly motorized operation.

Another object ofthe invention 'is a new'and improved hand-operated Lembossing machine which is relatively lightjin ,weightfand compact in size :to permit convenient storage and to reduce the amount of floorspace required for the machine as compared with known devices.

A further object of the inventionis the provision ofa new and improved manually operated embossing machine which requires a minimum of effort on the part of an operator and which is relatively quietin operation.

A more specific object of the-invention is the provision of 'amanually operated embossing machine in which actuatio'n of the machine may be accomplished by .relatively simple and natural movements on the part of an operator.

Anfadditional object of the invention is a new and improved hand-type embossing machine including simple and convenient means whereby a relatively unskilled operator may interchange die heads to afiord different type styles.

Yet another object of the invention is a new and improved manual-type embossing machine which .may be adjusted to altord relatively uniform embossure heights on different kinds of materials, such as metal and plastic, and consequently avoids any requirement forspecial plate rolling devices.

Acorollary object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved hand-operated embossing machine which is relatively inexpensive in construction as compared with previously known machines and which may be set up and operated for extended periods without requiring precision adjustment or maintenance in the'field.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principles thereof and what we now consider to be the best mode in which we have Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used andstructural changes may be made as desired by those skilledin the art without-departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an embossing machine constructed in accordance with the invention taken from one side of the machine with the covers removed;

Fig. 2 is a front perspective view of the embossing machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the embossing machine of Fig. 1 taken from the opposite side of the machine;

Fig. 4 is an elevation view of the operating head of the embossing machine of Fig. 1, taken from the same side as Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5--5 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 66 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is an elevation view taken from the same side of the machine as Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view taken along line 88 in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation view taken along line 9-9 in Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation view, taken longitudinally of the embossing machine, showing most of the operating linkages in the operating head of the machine;

Fig. 11 is a sectional elevation view taken along line 11-41 in Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a vertical section view taken along line 1212 in Fig. 10;

Fig. 13 is a detail front elevation view taken along line 1313 in Fig. 10;

Fig. 14 is a detail sectional view showing a part of the die head support structure of the embossing machine;

Fig. 15 is a sectional elevation view taken along line 15-15 in Fig. 10;

Fig. 16 is a further sectional elevation view taken along line 16-16 in Fig. 10;

Fig. 17 is a detail sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of the die head of the embossing machine of Figs. 1-3, showing the support structure employed for the die head;

Fig. 17A is a detail view of a part of the die head;

Fig. 18 is a fragmental plan view, partly in cross section, of the embossing machine die head;

Fig. 19 is a fragmental front elevation view, partly in cross section, of the die head of the embossing machine;

Fig. 20 is a sectional plan view of the base of the embossing machine, showing the character-spacing mechanism;

Fig. 21 is a detail sectional view taken along line 2121 in Fig. 20;

Fig. 22 is a sectional elevation view showing the printing device carriage of the embossing machine;

Fig. 23 is a sectional plan view of the printing device carriage;

Fig. 24 is an elevation view showing the printing device carriage mechanism of the printing machine;

Fig. 25 is a detail view illustrating the line-spacing escapement mechanism of the embossing machine;

Fig. 26 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the character-spacing escapement mechanism of the invention; and

Fig. 27 is a timing chart utilized to explain the sequence of certain operations in the machine.

General description The embossing machine 30 illustrated in Figs. 1-3, which are perspective views of one embodiment of the inventive concept, comprises an operating head 32 which is mounted upon a base 31 and which includes an operating handle 33. The operating head 32 supports a movable die head or type carriage 34 which is provided with a handle 35. A printing device carriage 36, including a printing device retainer or holder 37, and a suitable carriage operating mechanism 38 are also mounted upon base 31. The carriage operating mechanism 38 includes a character-spacing actuating lever 39 and a line-spacing actuating lever 40.

Operation of the embossing machine 30 is extremely simple and convenient. At the outset, a suitable thin metal or plastic plate which is to be made into a printing device is inserted into the holder 37, in a manner to be described in detail hereinafter, and the holder is moved to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 with the metal or plastic plate projecting from a pair of clamping jaws 41, 42 into a slot 43 in the die head 34. Die head 34 is then moved longitudinally to bring a particular selected character on a character index 44 into registration with an indicator 45; in Fig. 2, it is seen that indicator 45 is in registration with the letter R of index 44. The handle 33 is then rotated in the direction indicated by arrows A in Figs. 1 and 3 through an arc of approximately This movement of the actuating lever or handle 33 causes the embossing machine 30 to perform a complete embossing operation and to move the printing device carriage 36 laterally through a space equal to one character space. A second letter or numeral may then be embossed immediately adjacent the first simply by repositioning die head 34 with respect to indicator 45 to select the next letter to be embossed. This sequence of operations is repeated until a complete line of embossed characters is formed. If, at any time, it is desired to leave a blank space between two characters, the lever 39 may be rotated through an arc of approximately 90 in the direction indicated in Fig. 3 by arrow B to move the carriage 36 through a single character space.

After one line of characters has been embossed, lever 40 may be actuated through a relatively short distance in the direction indicated by arrow C, Fig. 3, to advance carriage 36 one line-space toward the die head 34. Carriage 36 is returned to its initial or starting position by means of a carriage-return lever 47 and the second line is embossed in the same manner as the first. When all of the desired lines of embossing have been completed, carriage 36 is pulled away from the die head by means of lever 47 and the printing plate is removed from holder 37.

The operating head structure As shown in Figs. 4 and 16, the actuating lever or handle 33 is affixed to a bushing 48 supported upon a shaft 49 which in turn is supported by two operating head frame members 50 and 51, the frame members 50 and 51 being secured to the base 31 as by suitable brackets 52 and 53. A cam-gear 54 is also afiixed to bushing 48 for rotational movement therewith in response to movement of the operating handle 33. Cam gear 54 includes a cam surface 55 which serves to limit the rotational movement of the bushing 48 and of the operating handle 33 by engagement with a pin 56 mounted upon the frame member 50 and projecting therefrom toward the cam gear. In addition, the cam gear 54 includes a plurality of gear teeth 56' which are in meshing engagement with the teeth of a gear 57; gear 57 is supported upon a second shaft 58 which extends between the two frame members 50 and 51. As indicated in Fig. 5, gear 57 is pinned to shaft 58; consequently, rotational movement of the gear 57 imparts a corresponding rotational movement to shaft 58 and to another gear 59 mounted upon shaft 58 intermediate frame members 50 and 51, since the gear 59 is also affixed to the shaft. In addition, a punch anvil cam 60 is supported on shaft 58 for rotational movement therewith; it is this cam which actuates movement of the punch elements of the embossing machine, as will be described more completely hereinafter.

As shown in Fig. 10, the gear 59 supported upon shaft 58 is in meshing engagement with a further gear 62 journaled upon shaft 49. The bushing 63 to which gear 62 is affixed is also employed to support a die anvil cam 64 and a further cam 65. In addition, shaft 49 is also t i to u p rt ye ta hsm mtfifign th s io frame member 51 opposite frame member 50', the cam 66 also being shown i'n'Fig,7. I h p The various mechanical linkages whichcomprise the punch-actuating system of the embossing machin e may best be understood by reference to Fig; 10, taken in conjunction with Figs. 6, 11, 12, 15 and 16. As shown in these figures, the punch anvil cam 60 is engaged by a cam follower or roller 70 supported upon a lever 71 which is pivotally mounted upon a shaft 72 extending between the two frame members 50 and 51. As indicated in Fig. 6, lever 71 is of rugged construction, and preferably comprises a steel casting; the roller 70 is supported between a pair of arms 71A and 71B of the lever 71 and the lower end of the lever extends in the form of a pair of lever elements 71C and 71D. The roller 70 is maintained in engagement with the punch anvil cam 60 by means of a biasing spring 73 which extends between lever element 710 and'a pin 74 affixed to frame member 51. The lower extremities of lever elements 71C and 71D are pivotally connected to a pair of links 75A and 753 respectively, theother ends of the two links being journaled on a shaft 76 which extends therebetween. Shaft 76, on the other hand, isalso journaled at an intermediate point in each of a pair of lever elements 77A and 77B which are each pivotally supported upon a shaft 78 as shown in Fig. and in the sectional views of Figs. 11 and 12.

The ends of lever elements 77A and 77B opposite the pivotal mounting on shaft 78 ,are joinedby a further connecting shaft 80, as seen in Figs. 10 and 16. A pair of relatively short connecting links 81A and 81B are pivotally mounted upon shaft 80 closely adjacent lever elements 77A and 77B respectively, the two links beiug joined at their free ends by a further connecting shaft 82 which is journaled in the two links 81A and 81B. A pair of anvil connecting levers 83A and 83B are pivotally mounted upon shaft 82, as indicated in Figs. 10 and 16; these two connecting levers 83A and 83B are of a configuration somewhat similar to that of a bell crank and are utilized to support three pressure rollers 84, 85, and 86 in rolling pressure contact with each other, as indicated in Figs. 10 and 15. The uppermost one of these rollers, roller 84, engages apunch anvil 87, whereas the lowermost of the three rollers, roller 86, is in rolling pressure contact with an anvil base member 8 8. Base member 88 is mounted in adjustably fixed position within the embossing machine and may be varied in height by rotatably adjusting an;eccentric shaft 89 supported between frame members 50 and 51 in engagement with the lower surface of base member 88 (see Fig. Punch anvil 87, on the other hand, is slidably mounted within frame members 50 and 51 and is maintained in rolling pressure contact with roller 84 by means of a pair of relatively strong biasing springs 90 and 91 which are afiixed to two pins 92 and 93 respectively, the two biasing spring'pins being threaded into the extremities of eccentric shaft 89. The two pins 92 and 93 also afford a convenient means for adjusting the eccentric shaft 89, thereby varying the maximum pressure applied by the embossing machine. The anvil projections 96 and 97 to which springs 90 and 91 are connected project through a pair of guide slots 98 and 99 respectively in frame members 50 and 51 to control vertical movement of the punch anvil. Base member 88 is also provided with projections which extend through the guide slots to control vertical alignment of this element of the punch mechanism. Anvil 87 is also provided with a punch-engaging projection or finger 95, shown in Figs. 10 and 15, for actuating an individual punch in the die head 34, as will be explained more completely hereinafter. v v i The drive linkage which actuates the die elements of the embossing machine may best be understood by refrease to Figs. 10, 13, 14, 15 aud 16. As shown in these figures, and particularlyin Figs. 10 and 15, the' die anvil cam '64, which is supported ;on shaft 48' for rotatiori' in responseto; actuation of gear 62, is engaged by a cam follower 100 which comprises a; short shaft supported between two arms 101A and 1013 of a drive lever 101. The member 101, which is preferably formed as a rugged steel casting, as indica ted in Fig. 15 is journaled upon a shaft 102 supported between frame members-50 and 51. A pair of relatively short connecting links A.- and 1033 are also journaledupon cam follower shaft 100 and extend downwardly inthe machine at an obtuse angle with respect to the' legs 101 A and 101B of'lever 101; the ends oflinks 103A and 10313 opposite shaft 100 are journaled upon a further; short shaft 104 upon which a die anvil 105 is journaledk The extremities of die anvil 105 extend-througha pair of slots 106 and 107 formed in frame members 50 and 51 respectively to guide vertical movement of the die anvil.

Member 101 is also provided-with a togglearm 108 extending forwardly therefrom and coupled by a toggle spring 109 to ashaft 110 which is supported between frame members 50 and 5 1, as best shown in Figs. 10 and 13. In addition, a cam follower arm 11 extends rearwardly from member nland is utilized to support'a cam follower roller 112 shown in each of Figs. 10, 13 and 15. As indicated in'Fig. 15, cam follower 112 is positioned to engage the auxiliary cam 65 which is supported upon shaft 48 for rotation with gear 62 and cam 64. 4 i v N The toggle spring mounting shaft 110 serves an additional function in that it supports the indicator 45 which extends downwardly from the shaft into juxtaposition with the upper portion 44 of die head 34, as indicated in Fig. 10, to afforda means-for aligning the die head in the embossing machine,"as will be explained more completely hereinafter. The die anvil 105 is provided with a die-engaging element or finger 115 which is essentially similar in configuration tothe finger 95 on punch anvil 87 and which is adapted to engage the dies in the die head 34 as will be described more completely hereinafter.

The carriage drive and indexing linkages of embossing machine 30 are best shown in Figs. 7 -9. As noted hereinabove, the carriage actuating and die head locking cam 66 is journaled upon shaft 48 and connected to gear 62 for rotation therewith when the machine is in operation. A bell crank 120, supported from frame member 51 by means of a stub shaft 121, is utilized to support :a cam follower comprising roller 122 in engagement with the peripheral surface of cam 66; Cam follower 122 is biased into engagement-with the cam 66 by means of a biasingspring 123 which interconnects bell crank and a pin 124 affixed to frame member 51; I

Bell crank 120 includes a vertically upwardly extending leg 126 which is yieldably connected to a second bell crank 127 by means comprisinga shaft 128 which extends through a pair of lugs 129 and 130 afiixed to levers 120 and 127 respectively. A compression spring 131 mounted in encompassing relation with respect to shaft 128 permits limited m'ov'em'entof the two bell cranks with respect to each other under certain operating conditions. Bell crank 127 is journaled-upon the same stub shaft 121 which supports bell crank120 and is provided with a cam-engaging extension 133 which, under certain operating conditions to be described hereinafter, may engage a lug- 134 mounted upon cam 66. The end of bell crank 127 opposite the cam-engaging extension 133 is pivotally connected to a'link 136, the other end of the link being pivotally connected to one arm of a bell crank 137. Bell crank 137, as shown in Figs. 7 and 9, is affixed to andsupported by a shaft 139 which in turn is supported between frame members 50 and 51. A pin 142 is mounted on the arm of the bell crank other than that coupled to link 136; pin 142 extends through an elongated slot in a connecting rod 140 and is yieldably connected to rod 140 by means of a spring 141. Connecting rod 140 extends beyond operating head 32 and is connected to a rock shaft 144 by means of a link 145; the rock shaft 144 comprises a part of the character-spacing apparatus of the carriage control mechanism 38.

The shaft 139 to which bell crank 137 is affixed is also utilized to support a die head locking lever 150, as best shown in Figs. 5, l and 11. Lever 150 extends forwardly from the shaft 139 and, at its forward extremity, includes a vertically upwardly extending extension 151 which engages a part of the die head 34 when the machine is placed in operation. As indicated in Fig. 5, a guide bracket 152 is supported between frame members 50 and 51 and is provided with a slot 153 to control the vertical movement of lever extension 151 and guide it accurately during operation of the machine. The sides of lever extension 151 are not parallel, but slope toward each other as shown in Fig. 5.

Another component of the operating head 32 of the embossing machine is shown in Fig. 4 and comprises a simple latching lever 155 which is pivotally mounted upon frame member 50 as indicated at reference numeral 156 and which is normally maintained in the illustrated horizontal position by means of a biasing spring 157 and a stop 158. Latching lever 155 includes a forwardly projecting extension 159 which engages a pair of projections on the back of the die head 34, not shown in this view, to prevent the possibility of accidental removal of the die head from the machine during operation.

As indicated hereinabove, the die head 34 is supported within operating head 32, the die head mounting devices being best shown in Figs. 4, 7 and 10. As shown in Figs. 4, 7, a pair of die head guide brackets 160 and 161 are mounted upon frame members 50 and 51 respectively and extend outwardly therefrom; the relationship of these brackets to the die head may also be seen in Figs. 1 and 3. A first guide wheel 162 is mounted upon bracket 160 and extends downwardly therefrom to engage the die head; a similar guide wheel 163 is supported upon bracket 161. In addition, a pair of guide rollers 164 and 165 extend downwardly from bracket 160 to engage an extension of the die head and the corresponding pair of guide rollers 166 and 167 are provided upon the other bracket 161. The manner in which the various guide rollers 162-167 engage the die head will be made more apparent hereinafter in connection with Figs. 17-19.

Support for the die head is provided by a pair of support brackets 170 and 171 which are supported adjacent frame members 50 and 51 respectively, as most clearly shown in Fig. 14. A shaft 172 mounted in bracket 170 is utilized to support a pair of discs 173 and 174 which engage the undersurface of the die head. Similarly, a

pair of discs 175 and 176 mounted upon a shaft 177 journaled in bracket 171 engage the undersurface of the die head on the opposite side of the embossing area.

The die structure The manner in which the die head support members of operating head 32 engage the die head 34 to support and guide its movement with respect to the operating head 32 may best be understood by reference to Figs. 17-19. As shown in these figures, and particularly in Fig. 17, die head 34 comprises a die rack 180 and a punch rack 181. The two racks, which are utilized to support the individual punches and dies employed in the embossing operation, are preferably formed as in dividual aluminum castings and are cemented or otherwise suitably bonded together, the bond line being indicated in Fig. 17 by reference numeral 182. It is essential that the dimensions in the punch and die racks be maintained within very close tolerances, and although it is possible to fabricate the two racks as integral parts of a single metallic member by machining operations, this method is quite unsatisfactory in production in that it is extremely difficult to maintain the required tolerances in any relatively economical machining process. It has been determined, however, that adequate control of the dimensions may be maintained if the two racks are die cast or otherwise fabricated as separate elements, preferably from aluminum, and that an ordinary cement bond affords adequate strength in the die head structure.

An upper guide plate or track member 183 is secured to the upper surface of die rack as by a series of bolts 184. The guide plate 183 includes a first guide surface or track 185 which engages the two upper guide rollers 162 and 163 of the operating head structure. Guide plate 183 further includes a vertically upwardly extending projection 186 which passes between the two further pairs of upper guide rollers 164, 165, and 166, 167 of the operating head. The engagement of projection 186 with the guide rollers 164-167 accurately determines the front-to-back horizontal position of die head 34 with respect to the operating head. A pair of lower guide plates 188 and 189, by engaging the support discs or rollers 173176 of the operating head, serve conjointly with guide plate 183 and rollers 162, 163 to determine the vertical position of the die head with respect to the operating head. Guide plate 188, which is aifixed to the lower surface of punch rack 181, engages support rollers 173 and 175, whereas guide plate 189, which is also affixed to the lower surface of the punch rack, engages support rollers 174 and 176. A further guide plate 190 is affixed to the rear surface of the die head 34; guide plate 190 includes a pair of rearwardly projecting lugs 191 (Fig. 18) and 192 (Fig. 17) which are adapted to engage the extension 159 on a die head latching lever 155 (Fig. 4). The lugs 191 and 192, by engaging the lever 155, afford the only means required to prevent removal of the die head. Thus, the latching lever is the only member on the operating head which requires actuation to permit replacement of the die head. In addition, guide plate 190 is provided with a series of downwardly extending projections or teeth 194, there being one projection 194 for each punch-and-die combination in the die head. These teeth 194 are adapted to engage the extension 151 of the die head locking lever 150 (see Fig. 10) in a manner to be described more completely hereinafter in connection with the detailed operational description of the machine.

Die rack 180 and punch rack 181 define the slot or gap 43 into which a plastic card or metal plate is inserted during the embossing operation. The die rack 180 supports a series of die elements 200 in a predetermined arrangement above the slot 43 Whereas punch rack 181 is employed to suspend a corresponding series of punch elements 201 below slot 43. The front end of the casting which forms die rack 180 defines a series of slots or pockets 202 within which the dies 200 are individually supported and in which, during operation of the machine, the die elements may be moved in a vertical direction. Each of the individual die elements 200 is normally maintained in a predetermined neutral or inactive position as shown in Fig. 17 by means of a detent pin 203 which engages in a V-shaped notch 204 in the individual die. Each detent 203 is biased into contact with its corresponding die by means of an individual leaf spring 205 affixed to the die rack 180 and extending into contact with the rear or head portion of the detent pin.

The mounting arrangement employed for the punches 201 is essentially similar to that utilized in connection with the dies 200. Thus, punch rack 181 includes a plurality of pockets or slots 207 within which the individual punch elements 201 are located. A series of detent pins 208 which engage in V-shaped notches 209 in the punches are employed to retain the punches in the normal neutral position shown in Fig. 17. An individual biasing spring 210 is associated with each of the detent pins 209 to atforda yieldable-retaining device for eaohindividual punch element.

One wall of each of the punch slots or pockets 207 is defined by a plate 212 which is bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the face of the punch rack 181. Similarly, a plate 213 defines the front of each of the die slots 202. Plate 213 also serves an additional purpose. This plate is bent forwardly at an acute angle to form an extension 214 upon which the index marking plate 44 is mounted. As shown in Fig. 19, index plate 44 is provided with markings as indicated at 216 to identify the characters which the individual punch-and-die combinations are adapted to reproduce during the embossingoperation. Selection of an individual character for embossing is thus made by correlating the position of the indicator .45 (Figs 10 and 13) and index plate 44. Positioning of the die head with respect to the operating head of the embossing machine in this manner is accomplished by the operator simply by pushing or pulling upon the die head handle 35 to slide the entire die head through the support and guide structure shown in Fig. 17 to select any desired character available in the punch and die racks of the die head.

The workholdor carriage structure Figs. 20-26 show the various mechanisms and linkages employed in supporting a printing plate in the embossing machine and in controlling the movements of that plate with respect to the operating head and die head of the machine during the embossing operation. As indicated hereinabove in connection with Fig. 7, the connecting rod 140 is employed to link the operating head with a rock shaft 144 to effect a character-spacing movement in the course of the embossing operation. Rock shaft 144, upon which the character-spacing lever 39 is mounted, is supported in a bracket 230 and in an extension 231 thereof, bracket 230 preferably being bolted or otherwise affixed to the die head frame member 51 and to the base 31. The end of rock shaft 144 opposite handle 39 is journaled in an extension 233 of a Second bracket 232 which is essentially similar in configuration to bracket 23d and which is preferably bolted or otherwise fastened to frame member 50 and to the base 31.

Rock shaft 144 comprises the actuating element of an escapement mechanism employed to control longitudinal motion of the workholder of the embossing machine with respect to the die head and operating head. For this purpose, a pawl mechanism 240 is mounted upon rock shaft 144 for rotation therewith; the pawl mechanism 240 inchides a base or support element 241 which is affixed to shaft 144 and which is utilized to support a pair of adjustable pawl members 242 and 243. As indicated in Figs. 20 and 26, the pawls 242 and 243 are mounted upon two pawl support arms 245 and 246 respectively. The support arms 245, 246 are supported upon the base member 241 and may be adjusted longitudinally thereof as by a pair of adjusting screws 247 and 248 respectively;

In the normal or neutral position of rock shaft 144, the pawl 243 engages in one of the serrations or slots of a ratchet member 250 which is supportedbetween a pair of brackets 251 and 252 extending from a carriage member 253, the carriage member 253 being slidably mounted upon a pair of support rods 254 and 255. The supports rods are mounted between the two brackets 230 and 232 as shown in Figs. 20 and 23; the relative heights of these 'two support rods with respect to brackets 230 and 232 are indicated in Fig. 24, A band spring 257, which is supported upon base 31, is connected to carriage member 253 and biases the carriage member for movement toward the right as seen in each of Figs. 20, 21, 23, and 24, the connection between the biasing spring and the carriage member being shown in Fig. 24. Movement in this direction is normally prevented, however,

10 escapement rack 250. pair ofbrackets 260 and are afiixed to carriage member 253 and extend upwardly therefrom on oposite sides of the carriage member. These two brackets are employed to support a pair of slide rods 262 and 263 respectively, the rods being bonded or other wise aifixed to the brackets to prevent relative movement therebetween. A second carriage member 265 is supported upon slide rods 262 and 263 for longitudinal movement with respect thereto. Carriage member 265 is biased in a direction away from the die head of the embossing machine by means of a pair of springs 266 and 267; one end of each of the springs 266 and 267 is aflixed to the front or operating head side of carriage member 265 and the other end of each of the two springs is fastened to a connecting plate 268 which extends between and is affixed to the slide rods 262, 263. Connecting plate 268 is also provided with an extension 269 which projects downwardly therefrom, as indicated in Figs. 22 and 24, and which serves to indicate the relative left-to-rig ht position of the carriage with respect to the operating head. To aid in interpretation of the indication provided by projection 269, a suitable characterspacing scale 270 may be supported upon the cover 271 of the embossing machine immediately adjacent indicator 269 and may be provided with an index scale.

The carriage control mechanism 38 of the embossing machine further includes a second escapement mechanism for controlling the movement of carriage member 265 along slide rods 262 and 263. This escapement mechanism includes an actuating shaft 275 which is journaled in brackets 230 and 232 and to which linespacing lever 40 is affixed, as indicated in Fig. 23. Throughout the major portion of its length, shaft 275 is not of circular cross sectional configuration; rather, it comprises a cam surface and may, as indicated in Fig. 25, be of substantially square cross-sectional configuration. The rock shaft or cam shaft 275 engages one end of an escapement lever 276 which is supported for pivotal movement upon a shaft 277 suspended within carriage member 253, as best shown in Fig. 24. The opposite end of escapement lever 276 comprises a pawl 278 which engages an escapement rack 279 extending longitudinally of carriage member 265 and supported by the carriage member. Consequently, movement of the carriage member 265 away from operating head 32 along slide rods 262 and 263 is normally prevented by the engagement of the ratchet and pawl elements 279 and 278. The carriage actuating lever 47 referred to hereinabove is affixed to carriage member 265, as indicated in Fig. 22.

The workholder 37 of the embossing machine, which is essentially similar to that described and shown in US. Patent 921,600 to Duncan, is fixedly mounted upon carriage member 265 and includes a base or support member 280, preferably fabricated as an aluminum cast-- ing. A pair of guide members 281 and 282 project up-- wardly and outwardly from base 280 and are utilized to guide a card or plate 283 into the card holder jaws 42 and 43. Gripping elements 42 and 43 are mounted on a shaft 284 supported between a pair of brackets 285 and 286; brackets 285 and 286 are preferably formed as an integral part of base member 280. Jaw element 42 is connected by a toggle spring 290 to a card holder actuating lever 291 which is affixed to one end of shaft 284. At the end of shaft 284 opposite handle 291, a stop element 293 is affixed to the shaft in a position such that the stop element may engage a stop pin 294 to limit clock wise rotation of actuating lever 291 as viewed in Fig. 22; A further stop member 295, which is adjustable in length, is afiixed to workholder base 280 and projects upwardly therefrom into the path of angular movement of jaw members 41, 42.

Operation of the embossing machine When it is desired to place the embossing machine in by engagement of the pawl 243 in one of the steps of ,75 operation, carriage member 265 is preferablyfirst shifted.

as far as possible from operating head 32, usually simply by pressing downwardly upon lever 40 to displace the carriage to its retracted position, indicated by phantom outline 265A in Fig. 22. Card holder actuating lever 291 is then rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 22, through an angle of approximately 180. During approximately the first 135 of rotation of the card holder actuating lever, the yieldable connection afforded by spring 290 compels jaw members 41 and 42 to rotate with the actuating lever; consequently, the jaw members are brought into contact with stop member 295, which is adjusted to spread the jaw members slightly and to align the gap between the jaw members with the guide surfaces afforded by projections 281 and 232 of card holder base 280. Continued rotation of the actuating lever 291 first stretches the spring 290 and subsequently, in accordance with the usual action of a toggle spring arrangement, permits the spring to compress and maintain the members in the desired alignment. A metal or plastic plate is then inserted in the jaw members, being maintained in the desired alignment by the guide surfaces afforded by base member projections 231 and 282. Actuating lever 291 is then rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 22, to return the jaws 41 and 42 to the angular position shown in Fig. 22 with the card or metal plate projecting toward die head gap 43 as indicated by phantom outline 283A. The operator may then push lever 47 toward the operating head of the embossing machine to impel carriage member 265 in that direction against the relatively light bias afforded by springs 266 and 267 and thereby position the card or plate to be embossed within gap 43 of the die head. Usually, it is also desirable to move the carriage as far to the left, as viewed in Fig. 23, as possible; this may also be accomplished simply by pressing against lever 47. This places the machine in condition for operation.

The next step is to select the first letter to be embossed. This is accomplished simply by sliding the type carriage or die head 34 to the left or to the right until the desired one of characters 216 is immediately beneath indicator 45. When this has been done, the operator grasps handle 33 and pulls it, in the direction indicated by arrows A in Figs. 1 and 3, through an arc of approximately 96 to eniboss the character into the plate; the operator then releases the handle, permitting it to return to its original or neutral position as shown in the several figures.

The timing chart of Fig. 27 is provided to afford a means for identifying the time relationship of the functions of the various operating mechanisms included in embossing machine 30. This chart includes a graphic representation of the actions of the operating handle 33, punch anvil cam 60, die anvil cam 64, and the carriage actuating and die head locking cam 66. As indicated therein, the operating handle 33 is rotated through an angle of approximately 96 and subsequently is released to rotate back through the same angle, the angular displacement for the operating handle being determined by the engagement of the two cam surfaces of cam 54 with the stop pin 56 (see Figs. 1 and 4).

In the illustrated embodiment, the gear ratio between the gear portion 56 of cam gear 54 and the gear 57 which is in meshing engagement therewith is approximately 15:8. Consequently, the rotation of operating handle 33 through an angular displacement of 96 displaces gear 57 and the shaft 58 to which it is afiixed through an angle of 180. Accordingly, during each operation of the embossing machine, the gear 59 and the punch anvil cam 60, both of which are affixed to shaft 58, are also rotated through an angle of 180. Moreover, the gear ratio between pinion 59 and spur gear 62, in the described embodiment, is also approximately 15:8. Consequently, the 180 rotation imparted to shaft 58 of the operating head during the embossing operation causes the gear 62 and the cams 64, 65, and 66 afiixed thereto (see Figs. 7 and 10) to rotate through an arc of approximately 337.50. Consequently, the rotational displacement scales for the different elements 33, 60, 64, and 66 shown in Fig. 27 are not the same, but the actions depicted therein all occur in the same time period during actuation of the embossing machine.

The first operation which takes place when the embossing machine is actuated relates to locking of the die head 34 in alignment with operating head 32 and to the movement of carriage 36. As cam 66 is rotated in the direction indicated in Fig. 7 by arrow E, the engagement of the cam surface with cam follower 122 causes bell crank to rotate through a relatively small angle about shaft 121. This angular rotation, in turn, is imparted to the second bell crank 27, which consequently pulls upwardly upon link 136. The upward movement of link 136 causes bell crank 137 and shaft 139 to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 7 and this rotation of the bell crank displaces connect? ing rod 140 in the direction indicated in Fig. 7 by arrow F. Because the connecting rod 140 is coupled to rock shaft 144 through link 145, the rock shaft is rotated through a relatively small angular displacement in the direction indicated by arrow B. By referring to Figs. 20 and 21, it is seen that this movement of rock shaft 144 disengages pawl 243 from rack 250 and brings the pawl 244 into engagement therewith, permitting carriage member 253 to move to the right, as seen in these two figures, under the influence of the carriage biasing spring 257. The various steps or stages of escapement rack 250 are spaced at intervals such that this movement of the carriage is equal to one half of the desired spacing between characters. Subsequently, when the operating handle is returned to its neutral position, the reverse rotation of cam 66 permits the linkage comprising bell cranks 120 and 127, link 136, bell crank 137, connecting rod 140, link 145, and rock shaft 144 to return to the position illustrated in Fig. 7. As the rock shaft 144 rotates back in the clockwise direction, pawl 244 is disengaged from the rack and the carriage again moves to the right as seen in Figs. 20 and 21 until pawl 243 again engages the escapement rack. Accordingly, each movement of operating handle 33 through its operating are for an embossing operation displaces carriage member 253 one half of a predetermined character space and the return movement of the operating handle permits the carriage rack to move an additional half space, thereby providing for one full space between embossed characters as an automatic incident to the embossing operation.

The rotation imparted to shaft 139 during the initial movement of handle 33, as described immediately hereinabove, also causes the die head locking lever to rotate through a relatively small are in a counter clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 10. This movement of lever 150 brings the lever extension 151 up into engagement with one of the slots between the teeth 194 upon the plate affixed to the rear of die head 34; this plate is best seen in Figs. 17 and 17A. In the normal operation of the machine, if the die head is not accurately adjusted to bring the desired punch and die combination into alignment with the operating head, the engagement of the sloping sides of locking lever extension 151 with the sloping slides of teeth 194 causes the die head to be shifted into the desired accurate alignment and to be locked in that position.

On rare occasions, however, it is possible that locking lever extension 151 may engage one of the teeth 194 exactly at its center, so that the locking lever cannot move the die head into the correct alignment with respect to operating head 32. If this occurs, rotation of shaft 139 is interrupted before it can complete its usual arcuate movement since locking lever 150 is pinned to the shaft. Consequently, bell crank 127 cannot complete its full normal operating movement but is arrested after only a very slight pivotal movement. Under these circumstances, continued rotation of cam 66 brings the stud elment134 into engagement with the stop extension 133 of bell crank 12.7 and arrests the embossing action before either the punch anvil or die anvil has been actuated toward the die head, as indicatedby the timing chart,- Fig. 27. Consequently, it is not possible to drive the embossing machine through a complete embossing action when the die head is not accurately aligned with respect to the operating head and the damage to the ,die head which would otherwise almost inevitably result is completely obviated. It will be seen that some rotation of cam 66 and consequently of the operating handle and other elements of the embossing machine is permitted before the stop elements 133 and 134 come into engagement; it is for this reason that the yieldable connection comprising connecting rod 128 and spring 131 is afforded between bell cranks 120 and 127. If a fixed connection were provided at this point, the mechanism could be misaligned or even damaged before the two stop elements could engage and prevent further operation. I

, As indicated in Fig. 27, the actions controlled by cam 66 are completed before any embossing action takes place. The next linkage to be actuated is that controlled by die anvil cam 64, which in eifect remains quiescent for the first 17 of its rotational movement. After this relatively short displacement takes place, however, continued rotation of the cam in the clockwise di rection as viewed in Fig. permits cam follower 100 to move very slightly to the left, imparting an upward movement to die anvil 10S. Thereafter, continued rotation of gear 62 and cam 64 drives the cam follower 100 to the right, as viewed in Fig. 10, thereby rotating the die anvil lever 101 in a counter-clockwise direction with respect to its supporting shaft 102 and impelling die anvil 105 downwardly through the linkage afforded by links 103A and 103B. Spring 109, of course, serves to maintain the cam follower 100 in constant pressure contact with the surface of cam 64. As indicated in Fig. 27, the die anvil 105 presses downwardly against the particular die 200 aligned therewith to make contact with the card or plate being embossed at some point during the first 60 of rotation of cam 64. After 60 of rotation have been completed, the toggle mechanism comprising extension 108 of die anvil actuating lever 101 and spring 109 is driven past its center position and effectively locked to prevent more than relatively minor displacement of the die anvil in an upward direction. Subsequently, after approximately 200 of rotation of cam 64, the die anvil is permitted to retreat upwardly through a very small distance during the period in which embossing pressure is applied to the metal or plastic card or plate.

7 During the return movement of handle 33, the die anvil actuating mechanism of course repeats its embossing movements in reverse. During this return movement, ,the cam 65 engages cam follower 112 on the xtensionlll of cam actuating lever 1011 to afford a positive reset or return action to the driving linkage for the die anvil. Moreover, as the die anvil moves upwardly on the return movement of the operating handle, thecam follower 100 again moves inwardly past its normal or neutral position as indicated in the die reset portion of the timing chart of Fig. 27. Consequently, the upward movement imparted to die anvil 105 during this" return movement, which is exactly the same as that noted above in connection with the downward or embossing movement cycle, causes the finger of extension portion 115 of the die anvil positively to engage the slot 300 in the die element 200. The upward movement imparted to the die by this upward movement of the die anvil assures positive resetting of the die in its normal position in which it is engaged by the detent 203 in notch 204 (see Fig; 17) and affords positive protection against the die dropping from its position during subsequent operation of the embossing machine. I i

As indicated in the timing chart of Fig. 27, the punch movement in the embossing machine 30 is effectively initiated only after the embossing movements of the linkage associated with the die anvil cam 64 and the locking cam 66 have been completed. Thus, through its initial 10 of rotation, punch anvil cam 60 permits only a reset action which will be described hereinafter. After approximately 35" of rotation in the counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 10, however, the engagement of the surface of cam 60 with cam follower 70 impels lever 71 to rotate about its support shaft 72 in a counterclockwise direction toward the final or embossing position indicated in phantom outline at 71A. This counterclockwise rotation of the lever 71 forces links 75A and 753 to rotate in a clockwise direction with respect to connecting shaft 76 and consequently impels the composite lever 77A, 778 to clockwise rotation with respect to support shaft 78, movingthe end of lovers 77A, 77B to the location indicated by phantom outline 77A. This movement of the composite lever 77A, 77B of course pulls links 81A, 81B downwardly and causes the crankshaped levers 83A, 83B to pivot withinthe space delineated by anvil base member 88 and punch anvil 8 7 The angular movement of the crank levers 83A, 83B, which is generally counter-clockwise as viewed in Fig.10, impels anvil 87 upwardly, since the position of anvil base. member 88 is fixed. The upward movement of anvil 87 impels the individual punch element 201 with which it is aligned to move upwardly toward the plate or card which is being embossed; contact is made at some point within the period determined by a displacement of 35 to 60 in rotation of the punch anvil cam 60 (see Fig. 27). As indicated in the timing chart, the embossing pressure increases throughout the period in which the punch anvil cam is displaced through its final 120 of angular movement.

When the operating handle 33 is returned to its neutral position, of course, the punch anvil driving linkage reverses its direction of movement and the various elements thereof return to the initial or starting positions shown in Fig. 10. When the punch anvil cam 60 reaches a point 35 displaced from its original or neutral position, however, its'presents a depressed area 60A to the cam follower 70 which permits the cam follower to go beyond the normal or neutral position. In this punch reset portion of the punch operating cycle, consequently, the link} age comprising levers 71, 75, 77, 81, and 83 operates to permit punch anvil 87 to move downwardly beyond its neutral position under the influence of the biasing springs 90 and 91 (Fig. 15). Since the projection 95 of punch anvil 87 is engaged in a slot 301 in the punch element 201, the punch element is pulled downwardly in a positive action which assures re-engagement of the punch notch 209 with detent member 208 (see Fig. 17 Consequently, each punch unit is positively returned writs normal or unactuated position in the final portion of each operating cycle. I I p I It is thus apparent that, on each operation of the operating handle 33, a number of diiferent actions take place in a predetermined sequence. First,the' die head 34 is established in and lockedin accurate alignment with operating head 32 and the carriage is advanced one half of a predetermined character-space distance; As movement of the operating handle continues in theiactu ating direction (arrows A in Figs. 1 and .3) the die ele' ment of the selected punch-and-die combination is advanced into embossing position in contact with the plate or card being embossed. Thereafter, as the operator completes the actuating rotation of handle 33, the, punch element is driven upwardly to complete the embossing action. Upon return movement of the operatinghandle in a direction opposite that indicated by arrows A, punch is first released and separated from the-plate being 155 embossed, the die is then retracted while the punch is being positively restored to its initial position, the die is similarly restored to its normal position by a positive action, and the die head is released and the carriage permitted to advance another one half of a characterspacing unit.

When it is desired to leave a blank space between characters in a line of embossing, it is only necessary for the operator to pull lever 39 on rock shaft 144 in the direction indicated by arrow B (Figs. 3 and 22) and subsequently to release the lever to return to its normal position under the biasing impetus afforded by spring 141 and the connection thereto afforded by rod 140 and link 145. This actuates the character-spacing escapement mechanism shown in Fig. 21 in exactly the same manner as accomplished by the embossing machine during a normal embossing operation. If it is desired to emboss some character at the end of a line, the carriage may be advanced to the limit of its movement toward the right (Figs. and 21) simply by rotating the rock shaft 144 in a direction opposite that indicated by arrows B to release completely the engagement between the pawls 243 and 244 and escapement rack 250.

When one line of embossing has been completed, and it is desired to emboss the plate with an additional line of characters, it is a simple matter for the operator to push the carriage back to its line-starting position by pushing lever 47 as far as possible to the left as viewed in Figs. 2 and 24. The line-space lever 40 may then be pressed downwardly to rotate shaft 275 in a counterclockwise direction (see Fig. 25), momentarily releasing carriage member 265 to move away from the die head of the machine under the biasing influence afforded by springs 266 and 267. The location of the carriage with respect to line spacing of the printing plate or other device being embossed is indicated by an index member 310 alfixed to carriage member 253 and by an indicator 311 which comprises a part of carriage member 265. After the card or plate has been completely embossed, of course, lever may be depressed by the operator to return the carriage to position 265A (Fig. 22) and the plate may be removed from the plate holder 37 by reversing the procedure outlined above.

In a subsequent embossing operation, it may be desirable to change to a different size or style of type, or from direct reading type to reverse reading type. To effect such a change, it is only necessary to actuate the limit means comprising the latching lever 155, deflecting the lever from the path of movement of the lug 192 and permitting removal of the die head 34 to the left of the machine, as viewed from the front. A second die head can then be readily mounted in the machine and it is ready for operation with entirely different type. The entire type-changing operation requires only a matter of minutes.

If the change is merely from one type style to another, and the same character-spacing and line spacing increments are to be employed, no further change need be made in the machine. On the other hand, if the change entails substitution of direct-reading type, the direction of carriage movement must of course be reversed, the alternate location for the band spring being shown in Fig. 20. Of course, it is also necessary to re-arrange the character-spacing escapement for operation in the opposite direction, the rack 250 being made demountable for this purpose, as shown in Figs. 20 and 21.

If the machine is to be used for both metal plates and plastic plates, it is necessary to adjust the embossing pressure, since the plastic plates usually cannot withstand the relatively high pressures required for the metal devices. This is accomplished quickly and effectively by adjustment of the eccentric shaft 89, changing the base position of the punch anvil 87 and thus adjusting the pressure applied by the machine. Moreover, the convenient yet precise adjustment of the anvil pres- 16 sure by the eccentric 89 makes it possible to obtain optimum pressure for virtually any set of punches and dies working on either metal or plastic, affording uniform embossures and effectively eliminating any need for plate rolling in most applications.

There are a number of different features of the invention, one embodiment of which is described hereinabove, which afford marked advantages with respect to ease of operation, size, and cost of the embossing machine. The operators task is made materially easier and more convenient by virtue of the fact that the entire embossing operation is effected simply by movement of the operating handle 33 through a relatively small arc, in this particular instance an arc of 96. The angular displacement for the operating handle may be varied somewhat, but should be made less than 120 and preferably smaller than since by thus restricting the angular movement necessary for operation of the machine, the operator is relieved of first pulling and subsequently pushing upon the operating handle to effect an embossure. The relatively great mechanical advantage afforded by the machine supplies adequate pressure for embossing metal plates; this effective mechanical advantage may be adjusted by varying the setting of the eccentric support 89 for punch anvil base member 38 to provide reduced pressure when the embossing machine is employed in conjunction with plastic plates or other relatively soft materials. The illustrated drive linkages are relatively simple and efficient in transmitting power from the operating handle to the punch anvil, which applies the final embossing pressure; it should be understood, however, that other levers and linkage arrangements may be employed if desired. It is particularly preferred, however, that direct drive linkages, preferably cam-actuated, be employed in order to attain maximum efficiency at a relatively low cost. Moreover, the particular coupling arrangement employed to drive the punch anvil, die anvil, and carriage cams has been found to be highly desirable, since by rotating the die anvil and carriage cams at a substantially higher speed than the punch anvil cam the functions controlled by these first-mentioned cams may be accomplished substantially completely before embossing pressure is applied. Of course, the same effect could be obtained by a series of cams mounted upon a single shaft and rotated at one speed, but this would entail, in many instances, a substantial sacrifice in speed of operation and/or would require considerably larger cams. The construction of the final power-transmitting portion of the punch drive linkage, including the rollers 8486 journaled in levers 83A and 83B and bearing upon the punchanvil and punch base member, is also highly advantageous, since it affords an efficient but inexpensive means for transmitting power to the punch anvil and permits ready adjustment of the pressure as indicated above. The aligning and locking of the die head prior to application of embossing pressure afforded by the engagement of cam pawl 151 in the indexing rack 194 of the die head efiectively prevents damage to the die head which might occur if the embossing machine were actuated with the die head somewhat misaligned and at the same time eliminates any requirement that the operator align the die head with any great exactitude in selecting the characters to be embossed.

Hence, while we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that this is capable of variation and modification, and we therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

We claim:

1. An embossing machine comprising: an operating head including an actuating member comprising a pivotally movable operating handle, a die anvil, a punch anvil, a carriage drive linkage, a die anvil drive linkage, and a punch anvil drive linkage, all of said linkages being mechanically coupled to said single actuating member for actuation in the recited sequence in an embossing operation; a Workholder carriage mechanically coupled to said carriage drive linkage for character-spacing movement in response to actuation of said carriage drive linkage; an elongated linearly movable die head supported in manually adjustable operative relationship with respect to said operating head and said carriage, said die head including a plurality of pairs of dies and punches adapted for engagement by said die and punch anvils respectively and further including an indexing rack in predetermined alignment with respect to said punches and dies; and means, comprising a cam pawl coupled to said carriage drive linkage, for engaging said indexing rack to align and lock said die head in a predetermined position with respect to said operating head as an incident to actuation of said carriage drive linkage.

2. An embossing machine comprising: a die anvil; a punch anvil; a punch anvil drive linkage, including a punch anvil cam and a cam follower-in operative engagement with said punch anvil earn, tor actuating said punch anvil into movement toward said die anvil in response to rotation of said punch anvil cam in a predetermined direction; a die anvil drive linkage including a die anvil cam and a cam follower in operative engagement with said die anvil cam, for actuating said die anvil into movement toward said punch anvil in response to rotation of said die anvil cam in a predetermined direction; means mechanically interconnecting said die and punch anvil cams for concurrent rotation in their respective actuation directions; an actuating member comprising a pivotally movable operating handle, mechanically coupled to one of said cams to rotate said cam in response to pivotal movement of said handle; and means limiting pivotal movement of said operating handle to an arc of less than 120.

3. An embossing machine comprising: a die anvil; a punch anvil; a punch anvil drive linkage, including a punch anvil cam supported for rotational movement upon a first cam shaft and a cam follower in operative engagement with said punch anvil cam, for actuating said punch anvil into movement toward said die anvil in response to rotation of said punch anvil cam in a predetermined direction; a die anvil drive linkage including a die anvil cam supported for rotational movement upon a second cam shaft and a cam follower in operative engagement with Said die anvil cam, for actuating said die anvil into movement toward said punch anvil in response to rotation of said die anvil cam in a predetermined direction; means mechanically interconnecting said die and punch anvil cams for concurrent rotation in their respective actuation directions at different rotational velocities, the rotational velocity of said die anvil cam being substantially greater than that of said punch anvil cam; and an actuating member comprising a pivotally movable operating handle, mechanically coupled to one of said cams to rotate said cam in response to pivotal movement of said handle.

4. An embossing machine comprising: a die anvil; a punch anvil; a workholder carriage; a punch anvil drive linkage, including a punch anvil cam and a cam follower in operative engagement with said punch anvil cam, for actuating said punch anvil into movement toward said die anvil in response to rotation of said punch anvil cam in a predetermined direction; a die anvil drive linkage including a die anvil cam and a cam follower in operative engagement with said die anvil cam, for actuating said die anvil into movement toward said punch anvil in response to rotation of said die anvil cam in a predetermined direction; a carriage drive linkage including a carriage drive mo em n it es ec t s emits ii-inmate turquqn f s d a e d i e e rn means mes an sa lv s n ct n a e and wish. n l c ms and a a i dri e can for c n uen tq stien n the r terse e t at n d rections th the ansslar e sc tv o sai carriage drive cam and said die anvil cam substantially greater than the angular velocity of said punch anvil cam; and an actuating member comprising PiYptally movable operating handle, mechanically coupled to one or" said cams to rotate said cam in response to pivotal movement of said handle.

5. An embossing machine comprising: an operating head including a die anvil, a pnnch anvil, a punch anvil base member, a carriage drive linkage, and a die anvil drive linkage; a workholder carriage mechanically coupled *0 i carriage drive in a fo shar etr ssiqe m ment in response to actuation of said carriage drive l nkage; a die head supported in manually adjustable operative relationship with respect to said operating head and said carriage, said die head including .a plura'lity of pairs of dies and punches adapted for engagement by said die a d Pun h ls res e ve y awash an il rivsl age included in said operating head and including a plu- 'rali'tyof rollers, each journaled atopposite endsin a pair of lever elements, in rolling pressure contactwith each other, one of said rollers being in rolling pressure contact with said punch anvil and another of said rollers being in rolling pressure contact said punch anvil base member, whereby pivotal movement of said lever elements forces said punch anvil away from said base member toward said die head; and .an actuating member, mechanically coupled to said drive linkages for operating said linkages in predetermined time relationship.

6. An embossing machine comprising; an operating head including a die anvil, a punch anvil, a punch anvil base member, and a die anvil drive linkage; a die head supported in manually adjustable operative relationship with respect to said operating head said die head including a p a i y of Pa r of e n Pu c s adap for engagement by said die and punch anvils respectively; a

in rolling pressure contact with said punch anvil and another of said rollers being inrolling pressure contact with said punch anvil base member, whereby pivotal movement of said lever elements forces sai'dpunch, anvil away from said base member toward said die head; and an actuating member, mechanically coupled to said drive linkages for'operating said'linkages in predetermined time relationship,

7. An embossing machine comprising: an operating head including a die anvil, a punch anvil, a punch anvil base member, and a die anvil drive linkage; a die head supported in operative relationship with respect to said operating head, said die head including a plurality of pairs of dies and punches adapted for engagement by said die and punch anvils respectively; a punch anvil drive linkage included in said operating head and including a plurality of rollers, journaled at opposite ends in a pair of lever elements,-in rolling pressure contact with each other, one of said rollers being in rolling pressure contact with said punch anvil and another of said rollers being in rolling pressure contact with said punch anvil base member, whereby pivotal movement of said lever elements forces said punch anvil away from said base an operating head including a die anvil, a punch anvil, a carriage drive linkage, a die anvil drive linkage, and a punch anvil drive linkage, all of said linkages being mechanically engaged with said actuating member for actuation in predetermined time relationship with respect to each other in an embossing operation; a work holder carrier mechanically engaged by said carriage drive linkage for characterspacing movement in response to pivotal movement of said actuating member; a die head supported in manually adjustable operative relation with respect to said operating head and said carriage, said die head including a plurality of pairs of dies and punches adapted for engagement by said die and punch anvils respectively; means, mechanically connected to said carriage drive linkage, for engaging said die hard to align and lock said die head in predetermined position with respect to said operating head prior to actuation of said anvil drive linkages; and safety means for preventing movement of either of said die anvil and punch anvil linkages until after said die head is aligned and locked in said predetermined position.

9. An embossing machine comprising: an actuating member comprising a pivotally movable operating handle; an operating head including a die anvil, a punch anvil, a carriage drive linkage, a die anvil drive linkage, and a punch anvil drive linkage, all of said linkages being mechanically engaged with said actuating member for actuation in the recited sequence in an embossing operation; a work holder carriage mechanically engaged by said carriage drive linkage for character-spacing movement in response to pivotal movement of said actuating member; an elongated linearly movable die head supported in manually adjustable operative relation with respect to said operating head and said carriage, said die head including a plurality of pairs of dies and punches adapted for engagement by said die and punch anvils respectively, and further including an indexing rack in predetermined fixed alignment relative to said punches and dies; means, comprising a cam pawl mechanically connected to said carriage drive linkage, for engaging said indexing rack to align and lock said die head in predetermined position with respect to said operating head as an incident to actuation of said carriage drive linkage and prior to actuation of said anvil drive linkages; and safety means for preventing movement of either of said die anvil and punch anvil linkages until after said die head is aligned and locked in predetermined position 10. An embossing machine comprising: an operating head including a die anvil and a punch anvil disposed in spaced relation to each other at an embossing station, and drive means for actuating said anvils in predetermined sequence in an embossing operation; an elongated die head, including means for supporting a plurality of pairs of punches and dies on opposite sides of a workpiece receiving opening therein; a workholder for supporting a workpiece in embossing position at said embossing station with said workpiece extending into said die head opening; means for supporting said die head upon said operating head for movement along a predetermined linear path relative to said embossing station to bring difierent ones of said pairs of dies and punches into alignment with said anvils; and limit means, engageable with said die head, for limiting movement of said die head to a predetermined portion of said path, said limit means being effectively displaceable to an inactive position to permit removal of said die head from said operating head by movement of said die head along said path beyond said predetermined portion.

11. An embossing machine comprising: an operating head including a die anvil and a punch anvil disposed in spaced relation to each other at an embossing station, and drive means for actuating said anvils in predetermined sequence in an embossing operation; an elongated die head including a plurality of pairs of punches and dies movably mounted on opposite sides of a workpiece receiving opening therein; a workholder for supporting a workpiece in embossing position at said embossing station with said workpiece extending into said die head opening; means for supporting said die head upon said operating head for manually controllable movement along a predetermined linear path relative to said embossing station to bring different ones of said pairs of dies and punches into alignment with said anvils, said means comprising two sets of rollers mounted on said operating head and engageable with said die head to guide and support said die head and prevent deviation from said path in two coordinate directions; and limit means, engageable with said die head, for limiting movement of said die head to a predetermined portion of said path, said limit means being effectively displaceable to an inactive position to permit removal of said die head from said operating head by movement of said die head along said path beyond said predetermined portion,

12. An embossing machine comprising: an operating head including a die anvil and a punch anvil disposed in spaced relation to each other at an embossing station, and drive means for actuating said anvils in predetermined sequence in an embossing operation; an elongated die head comprising a pair of substantially L-shaped members bonded to each other to define a workpiece receiving cavity and a plurality of pairs of punches and dies movably and removably mounted on said members in opposed relation to each other; a workholder for supporting a workpiece in embossing position at said embossing station with said workpiece extending into said die head cavity; means for supporting said die head upon said operating head for movement along a predetermined linear path relative to said embossing station to bring different ones of said pairs of dies and punches into alignment with said anvils; and limit means, engageable with said die head, for limiting movement of said die head to a predetermined portion of said path, said limit means being effectively displaceable to permit removal of said die head from said operating head by movement of said die head along said path beyond said predetermined portion.

13. An embossing machine comprising: an operating head including a die anvil and a punch anvil disposed in spaced relation to each other at an embossing station, and drive means for actuating said anvils in predetermined sequence in an embossing operation; an elongated die head including a plurality of pairs of punches and dies disposed on opposite sides of a workpiece receiving opening in said die head; a workholder for supporting a workpiece in embossing position at said embossing station with said workpiece extending into said die head opening; means for supporting said die head upon said operating head for movement along a predetermined linear path relative to said embossing station to bring different ones of said pairs of dies and punches into alignment with said anvils; and limit means for limiting movement of said die head to a predetermined portion of said path, said limit means comprising a pair of stop lugs affixed to said die head adjacent opposite ends thereof and a latch lever pivotally mounted on said operating head, and normally maintained in position to engage said lugs; said latch lever being displaceable to an inactive position free of said lugs to permit removal of said die head from said operating head by movement of said die head along said path beyond said predetermined portion.

14. An embossing machine comprising: an operating head including a pair of anvils, and an anvil base member associated with one of said anvils; a die head supported in operative relation to said operating head, said die head including a plurality of pairs of dies and punches adapted for engagement by said anvils; an anvil drive linkage included in said operating head and including a pair of rollers, one of said rollers being in rolling pressure contact with said one anvil and another 

